Paradox
by uberloser285
Summary: Directly after A Hole in the World, mostly from Wes's POV. It's pretty short. Reviews would be appreciated.


**A/N:**  Sorry about it all being one paragraph before, I was having some tech problems.  But I fixed it now, so you can stop with the comments about that.

Timeline-wise, this takes place directly after A Hole in the World.

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            "I knew you could do it.  I knew you would find someway to save me."  Fred said, staring into Wesley's eyes.

            "I had to try."  Wesley answered, still in awe of Fred's presence.  "I can't believe it worked.  You're really here?"

            Fred smiled and answered back, "I'm really here.  I could never leave you for long.  I had to come back.  I love you Wesley."

            "I love you too, Fred."  Wesley said, reaching his hand out to take hers.  But he couldn't grasp her hand.  He wasn't fast enough to catch her before she fell to the ground.  Her eyes rolled back in her head as she hit the cold hard floor.

            "Fred!  No!"

            Wesley sat up fast.  His office was empty.  He'd been having these dreams since the day Fred died.

            He walked slowly to the window of the large Wolfram and Hart office.  Despite being there for nearly ten months, he had never taken the time to appreciate the view from is office.  But now it was pointless.

            LA buzzed below him, people running back and forth, late for anonymous events.  But for Wesley, it was dead.  Everything was dead now.  The things he had once enjoyed; a well-read book, the view of the city, conversations with a good friend.  He had taken it all for granted, and now it meant nothing to him.

            He stood there in his office, the setting sun casting long shadows over the piles of books and papers strew across his desk.  Here he was, surrounded by so much knowledge, the answers to the world's oldest questions, its deepest secrets, all there for the taking.

            But the one question he needed answered could not be found in any of his books. He had searched for hours.  Wishing.  Hoping.  Willing the answer to be there.  But it never was.

            There was nothing he could do.  Fred was gone.  Her soul had been destroyed and nothing could bring her back. 

            Wesley opened the large window.  The cool evening wind blew viciously at this high altitude.  He watched as it blew the papers around his office, flipping threw the pages of books.  His entire office was affected by the wind.  Except for him.  He couldn't even feel it.  He couldn't feel anything.  His ability to feel had been ripped away from him the second that Fred exhaled her final breath.  At that moment he had been torn out of the world.  It continued on, everyone else went on with their lives.  But not him.  He wasn't a part of that world now.  He was somewhere else.  Somewhere cold, harsh, and alone.

            Wesley opened the drawer of his desk and pulled out the gun.

            Angel stood frozen in his office, the phone glued to his hand.

            "So come off it", said Spike, his leather duster swinging around him as he jumped up out of the chair. "What did they say?"

            Angel turned around to face Spike and Gunn, who stared at him, desperately eager to hear the news.

            "They found it.  They found a way."

            Gunn jumped up, shocked by the good news.  "Are you sure?  The guys in the lab didn't miss something?"

            "No, no.  It's true", Angel answered.  "They found the answer."

            "Well bloody hell!" shouted Spike.  "What is it?  Just tell us how already!"

            "They found an ancient text, buried in the back of the archives.  The Book of Igcarmaya.  There's a spell in it that they were able to translate.  It allows the person who was with the victim at the time of death to go back in time to a point where they can change the course of events."

            "So, Wesley, he was the only one there.  He can go back?"  Gunn asked.

            "Yes," Angel nodded.  "It's a tricky spell, but we have most of the supplies on hand.  I have people out now getting the rest.  We can do it.  We can send him back to before..."

            "Before I got the sarcophagus out of customs and got Fred killed", Gunn finished.

            "We can get her back.  We can fix this.  But we need Wesley.  Where is he?" Angle said.

            Spike gestured towards the hallway.  "He's still in his office.  Guess we can tell his to stop brooding now."

            The three of them started down the hall towards Wesley's office.  When they were halfway there the sound of a gunshot rang out though the building.


End file.
